Sarcoma botryoides of the vagina

REPORT summarizes our experience T with 13 patients with sarcoma botryoides of the vagina seen at Memorial Center from 1939 to 1958.Sarcoma bouyoides is a malignant tumor of "grapelike" appearance that occurs predominantly in infants and children.Although rare in general, it is the most common tumor found in the urogenital tract of infants and children.In girls, it occurs chiefly in the vagina and less often in the bladder.In boys, it occurs more often in the bladder, and it also occurs in the urethra and prostate.12P18 Tumors with similar gross and microscopic features have also been noted in the common bile duct, the nasopharynx, the middle ear, and the maxillary a n t r ~m .~. l ~ Sarcoma botryoides was first described by Guersant,ll a little more than 100 years ago.The patient, a 13-month-old infant, had a polyp of the vagina that grew quite rapidly and resulted in death 2 months after it was first noted.GranicherQ is said to have been the first to observe sarcoma botryoides at birth.Pfannenstiel22 in 1892 actually was the first to call attention to the "grapelike" appearance of this tumor (traubige Sarcom), and the term "sarcoma botryoides," based upon the tumor's gross appearance, has persisted in the literature.WilmsSe described in detail the microscopic features of sarcoma botryoides, classifying it as a "mixed tumor," and in all likelihood confusing it with the mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus.Review of the literature pertaining to treatment of t h i s tumor reveals scanty evidence of success (Table 1).While hundreds of cases of the tumor must have occurred since its recognition, only a few cures have been noted.